


This is My Life

by tale_to_tell



Series: Destiel deserves better [7]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alpha Castiel (Supernatural), Alpha Castiel/Omega Dean Winchester, Alpha Sam Winchester, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Attempt at Humor, Bad Parent John Winchester, Barista Dean Winchester, Bed & Breakfast, Beta Gabriel (Supernatural), Brotherly Love, Castiel Loves Dean Winchester, Cat Owners Castiel and Dean Winchester, Coffee Shop Owner Dean Winchester, Dean Winchester Loves Castiel, Dean Winchester is Good With Children, Domestic, Domestic Fluff, Established Castiel/Dean Winchester, Fluff, Good Sibling Dean Winchester, Good Uncle Gabriel (Supernatural), Guilty Sam Winchester, Happy Dean Winchester, Hurt Dean Winchester, Lawyer Sam Winchester, Light Angst, M/M, Married Castiel/Dean Winchester, Mates, Mpreg, Omega Dean, Pregnant Dean Winchester, Protective Castiel (Supernatural), Pups, Soft Castiel (Supernatural), Soft Dean Winchester, Swearing, like actually it's barely there
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-06
Updated: 2020-03-06
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:28:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23041762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tale_to_tell/pseuds/tale_to_tell
Summary: Really, Sam wasn't even supposed to be in this small-as-fuck town in the middle of nowhere, he was just unfortunate enough to be driving when a major snowstorm was due to hit. It was sheer dumb luck he even walked into the café.It was as he was ordering that he caught an achingly familiar and omega scent: apples, baked dough, vanilla, with just a hint of cinnamon, and he looked from the menu to the barista, eyes processing brown-blonde hair, freckled skin, and green eyes. Sam stared in surprise, and the barista looked equally shocked."Dean?" Sam gasped.Sam hasn't seen his brother in thirteen years and hasn't heard from him in ten. All of his efforts to locate Dean have been in vain, but it seems that fate favors Sam, because Sam has just found his brother. Sam is wildly unprepared to discover what Dean's life has become.To put it mildly... it's not at all what he expects.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester, Dean Winchester & Sam Winchester, Gabriel/Sam Winchester (if you squint)
Series: Destiel deserves better [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1559521
Comments: 28
Kudos: 812





	This is My Life

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own supernatural

"Fuck!" Sam swore as he drove closer to the small town. "Damn snowstorms."

This was what Sam got for offering to drive himself to a client a couple hours away instead of requesting they meet him halfway. Sam had been hoping to beat the snowstorm home, but there'd been countless warnings on every radio statio, and Sam wasn't _that_ stupid. So, he'd pulled off the highway and followed some pothole-plagued road to its source. Sam couldn't even remember the name of the town, but it was probably Smallville or something equally as dumb.

Had Sam been visiting for vacation, or something, he would've considered the town cute and picturesque, much like the setting of a Hallmark movie. But Sam was pissed he wouldn't be home for the next few days, and so he glared at the passing buildings until his found a bed-and-breakfast to stop at. The town was too small for a hotel, or even a motel.

Sam parked and got out of the car. The bed-and-breakfast was in a quaint two-story house with a wraparound porch. It was light blue with white trimmings, and Sam got the feeling it was run by a grey-haired grandmother or two. He rubbed his shoes on the mat before entering.

It was warm inside the house, and it smelled sweetly of honey and butter. There was a small counter to the side of the entrance, but there was no one behind it. Sam took in the design of the room and was even more convinced that the bed-and-breakfast was run by older women. There was a fireplace, a bookshelf, as well as a few doorways to other areas of the house. A sofa chair and small side table had been set up next to the fireplace so one could warm themselves, but a large, black cat currently occupied the space. It stared at Sam.

"Hey." Sam said, holding out an arm so the cat could sniff his hand. It did so, then looked away with an indifferent huff.

"Oh, hello there."

Sam jumped and turned around. A man had entered the entrance way without making a sound. He had dark brown (maybe black, even) hair and blue eyes. He stared at Sam inquisitively.

"Sorry." The man said, in a gravelly voice. He crossed over to the counter and slid behind it. "I did not mean to startle you."

"It's fine." Sam said with a quick and inconspicuous sniff. The man was an alpha, though he had the most unobtrusive alpha scents Sam had ever encountered. Not that alpha scents were bad or anything, mind you, just often they stood out. The man smelled like the rest of the house, like honey and butter, though there was a hint of something more, something like the smell after rain.

"My name is Castiel." The man said. "How may I help you today?"

"I was wondering if you have a room available? There's supposed to be a snowstorm and I'd rather not freeze to death."

Castiel's mouth quirked slightly, and he began to check through a worn leather book.

"We do have a room available, luckily enough." He said. "Would you like to see it?"

"Nah," Sam said, "I'll take it. I don't have much of a choice."

"No, you do not." Castiel agreed, smiling. He charged Sam for the room and handed him the key.

"Is there anything you will be needing? Help with your luggage, perhaps?"

"Don't have any luggage." Sam said. "But, maybe you can give me directions to a store or something, I'm going to need more clothes."

"Well," Castiel said, "it's too late to go to any of the stores, but we do keep spare pajamas around here. They're clean and unused, if you'd like. We also have toothbrushes and toothpaste."

"That would be great, thank you." Sam said. Castiel disappeared briefly through one of the doorways and returned with a small bundle of items.

"Here you go." He said, handing Sam the things. "Would you like to see your room now?"

"Sure." Sam shrugged. He followed Castiel through the middle doorway and up a flight of stairs. They walked down a hallway to the last door, and Castiel unlocked it.

The room was larger than Sam had expected it to be. There was a bed centered against the side wall, a nightstand on either side of it, and a desk and chair in the far corner. A dresser was across from the bed, and a doorway, likely to the bathroom, was next to the nightstand. The bed was covered in more quilts.

Sam put his things down on the dresser.

"It's really nice." He said, looking around. He still thought that an older woman had to work there. It seemed unlikely that Castiel had done all the interior decorating himself, though Sam wouldn't care if he had.

"I'm glad you think so." Castiel said. "My mate often comments that I go all out, but I enjoy all the details."

"Do you two own this place?" Sam asked.

"We do." Castiel said. "He's working now, but you'll see him tonight. Oh, by the way, we offer dinner and lunch here, as well. Nothing fancy. My mate has always been the better cook than I, but, well, I've learned over the years."

"Hey, I won't be one to complain." Sam said. "What time will the meals be served?"

"Dinner will be done around 6:30, so in about an hour. You could stay here, but there's still some places open at this time, if you want to explore."

"I think I'll explore." Sam said. "Thanks for the offer though, and for the clothes and stuff."

"It was nothing." Castiel said. He stepped outside Sam's room and waited for Sam to lock up. Castiel led them back down the hallway, and Sam caught sight of the artwork lining the walls. It was all white paper with crayon-colored drawings.

"You have pups?" Sam asked.

"I do." Castiel replied. "Three of them: two girls and a boy." Sam whistled.

"Lot of work."

"It is." Castiel said. "It is completely worth it, though. They're all around here, so you'll see them for dinner too."

"How old are they?" Sam asked.

"Our oldest, Mary, is seven. Claire is five, and Jack just turned one." Castiel answered. He gestured to a picture on the wall, and Sam paused to examine it.

The pups were young and very adorable. Mary had dark hair and green eyes, Claire had blonde hair and blue eyes, and Jack had brown hair and blue eyes. There was something almost recognizable about them, and Sam found himself wishing he could see their other parent.

Sam and Castiel returned to the entrance room, and Sam went out to his car. He drove around for a bit, looking for places to go, and eventually spotted a café. He smirked at the name, Buns 'n Roses.

The café was not very crowded. There were only two other customers inside, and they glanced up only briefly when Sam entered. Sam made his way to the counter, looking at all the different pastries, pies, and other desserts. The barista was turned away from him, so Sam didn't get a good look at his face.

Sam focused on the menu, reading quickly through the items available.

"Could I have a vanilla latte-" Sam cut himself off as he caught the scent of something achingly sweet and familiar. It was distinctively omega. Sam could detect apples, baked dough, vanilla, and just the softest hint of cinnamon. Sam's eyes shot to the barista, finally taking in the brown-blonde hair, freckled skin, and green eyes. Sam stared at the equally stunned barista.

"Dean?" Sam gasped. He was shocked. There was absolutely no way that this was his brother, because Dean Winchester had been missing for ten years.

It was Sam's fault, honestly. He'd left in a fit of anger and had ignored his brother's calls for two years. Once he was finally over himself, Sam had called John, only to discover that Dean had left half a year before and hadn't been heard from since.

Sam had been devastated and so guilty. He'd called stations and hospitals in every attempt to locate his brother.

"Sam?" Dean asked, and Sam had missed his voice so much. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Sam was too shocked and excited by his discovery to bristle at Dean's faint aggression. Before he could think about it, Sam was reaching over the counter, grabbing Dean, and yanking him into a hug.

Sam wrapped his arms around his brother, holding tightly and not even caring that Dean was tense against him.

"I missed you so much." Sam said, and his voice sounded hoarse and choked. He felt tears prickling at his eyes, and suddenly he was overwhelmed by his emotions: joy, relief, grief.

"I missed you too." Dean's quiet reply came, and Sam let out a small whine. Finally, Dean's arms wrapped around him too.

"What're you doing here?" Dean asked, pulling away.

"Avoiding the snowstorm." Sam answered. "What are _you_ doing here?" Dean bit his lip.

"I live here." He said. Sam blinked and took a moment to observe his brother. He was older, which was to be expected. There were soft lines around his eyes and lips. He wasn't wearing leather and flannel, like he always had, but instead he was wearing a _turtleneck_. It was dark green and soft-looking. He had an apron on top of his turtleneck. His hair was the same mostly. He was a bit fuller than before, but he'd stayed fit and in shape. Honestly, Dean had been too skinny before.

Besides the clothing, the biggest difference was that Dean looked _happy_. He had lost the tension and darkness in his eyes that had plagued them for as long as Sam had known him. There was something about the way he held himself, too. He seemed confident and relaxed, at peace with his life.

"You live here?" Sam repeated dumbly, and Dean looked away while rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yeah." He said. "Moved here after I left Dad."

"Why'd you leave Dad?" Sam asked. Dean's expression melted to a scowl and his scent turned bitter, and Sam felt a flood of regret.

"Because he was an asshole." Dean said viciously. "And I got tired of being abandoned."

Sam swallowed. He deserved that, he knew, since he'd basically abandoned Dean and ignored him. Dean had been the only parent Sam had ever known, and he had loved and looked up to his brother. Except, Sam hated it when Dean would stick up for John or put himself in between them. That was what drove Sam away. He knew had no excuse for his actions, though. Dean had been trying his best and Sam had been a dick.

"I'm sorry." Sam said quietly. "I shouldn't have left you."

"You wanted to live your life away from Dad." Dean said bitterly, the unheard _'and away from me'_ hanging heavily in the air.

"I did." Sam said. "But I went about it wrong. I don't regret leaving, but I do regret being a jerk to you and ignoring you. Even before that, I also took my anger out on you, and you just took it. You were always the best brother to me, and I was always the worst. I didn't appreciate everything you did for me, and I'm sorry I ever made you feel like you were alone."

Something lightened from Sam's chest then, something he hadn't even recognized. Apparently, after all these years he'd been holding in his regret and guilt, and even if Dean never wanted to see him again, Sam was happy he'd gotten it off of his chest.

"Thanks, Sammy." Dean said quietly, and Sam couldn't stop the tears that returned to his eyes.

"I haven't heard you call me that in years." He whispered wetly. Dean gave him a lopsided smile.

"You gonna stick around long enough to get used to it again?" He asked, voice deceptively light. Even after all this time, Sam could tell that Dean was worried.

"Not leaving." Sam promised. "Fuck, I spent all this time looking for you, and you were here in Washington this whole time."

"You looked for me?" Dean asked, eyebrows raising.

"I did." He said. "Took me about two years to get my head out of my ass, and I called Dad. He told me that you'd left, and so I looked for you. Didn't have much luck, obviously." Dean looked shocked by the admission, and Sam felt a tug of self-loathing.

"Well," Dean said, "I'm glad you've found me. I missed you a lot."

"I missed you a lot too." Sam replied. "I really want to catch up with you."

"Okay." Dean said. "Okay, that can happen. You free now?"

"Yeah." Sam answered, head nodding vigorously.

"Okay." Dean said again. "I'm just gonna let my worker know I'm leaving, and we can go to wherever you're staying."

"The bed-and-breakfast." Sam said, and a funny look crossed Dean's features.

"Alright, we can, uh, drive there separately, I guess, and then talk inside. Does that work?"

"Absolutely." Sam said eagerly. Dean nodded once and then turned.

"Benny!" He yelled, and an alpha appeared from the backroom. He looked between Sam and Dean curiously.

"What's up, brother?" Benny asked.

"I'm going early, close up when you can." Dean said.

"Alright." Benny said, still eyeing Sam. "Somethin' you need?"

"Nah." Dean replied. "Thank you, though. I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you then, cher." Benny said. Dean moved around the counter and disappeared into the backroom for a minute before returning with his coat and things. Sam followed him out to the parking lot, then followed Dean's car, the Impala (how hadn't Sam noticed it before?), back to the B&B.

Dean seemed hesitant about entering, and Sam wondered if he regretted seeing Sam. Dean must've scented Sam's apprehension, because he gave Sam a warm and genuine smile.

"I'm happy to see you." He said. "There's just a lot to catch up on." Sam hummed in agreement and they entered the house.

"My room is upstairs." Sam said. "I can show you the way. The owner, Castiel, seems like a really cool dude-"

"Dean?" Castiel's voice asked, and Sam turned to see Castiel entering the room. Castiel looked to Sam, obviously confused.

"Is everything okay?" Castiel asked Dean. "You're home early."

"I'm fine, love." Dean said (and Sam's mind went blank).

_Love?_

Dean crossed over to Castiel and kissed his cheek, right in front of Sam, and he couldn't help but gape.

" _You're_ his mate?" He gasped, voice embarrassingly high.

"Yeah." Dean said.

"What's going on?" Castiel asked as he placed a protective arm around Dean's waist. Sam expected Dean to brush it off, he'd never liked being coddled by alphas before, always independent and resentful of their possessiveness, but Dean only relaxed into Castiel's side, and Sam couldn't help but stare.

"Cas, this is my brother, Sam." Dean said. "Sam, this is my mate, Cas."

"Oh." Castiel said, a look of understanding crossing his features. "You're Sam Winchester." Sam could only nod dumbly.

"He's not usually this quiet and pleasant to be around." Dean said to Castiel as he shot Sam a teasing look.

"I think you've broken him." Castiel replied in equal amusement, and Dean snorted.

"If you think he's bad now, just wait till he meets the ki-"

"Daddy!" A collective cry went out, and Sam started as two small figures ran by him. Dean crouched down and held out his arms and the figures ( _Pups,_ Sam's kind belatedly supplied, _why are there pups here?_ ) threw themselves at him. Dean caught them and held them in a hug as they squealed.

"Daddy, guess what Uncle Gabe did with us today!" The taller pup exclaimed. Sam blinked, and it suddenly clicked in his brain. Castiel had said that he had pups, and the pictures had looked familiar to Dean. This was why. Dean had _pups_.

"What did you do today?" Dean asked, smiling at the girl.

"He helped us make chocolate!" The girl said excitedly. "It tasted so yummy!"

"Who's that?" The second girl demanded, now staring at Sam. Dean's eyes flickered to Sam, and Sam stared back at him, a confused and awkward mess. Dean stood, lifting both girls in his arms.

"This is your uncle."

_Uncle?!_

"But Uncle Gabe is our uncle." The second girl said, and Sam raked his brain for their names.

"This is your other uncle." Dean explained. "Uncle Gabe is Papa's brother, and this is my brother."

"Oh." The second girl said. She squirmed and Dean placed her down carefully. The second girl marched up to Sam and held out a hand for him to shake.

"My name's Claire." She announced. "I'm five."

"Hello." Sam managed to stammer out.

"And I'm Mary!" The first girl added. "But Mary's my middle name, so sometimes people call me Sammy, 'cause my first name's Samantha, and I'm seven!"

Sam choked that time. Her first name was Samantha. Dean had named his daughter after Sam!

"You alright, mister?" Claire asked, staring at him with wide eyes.

"Yeah." Sam said. "I just got surprised because my name is Sammy, too."

Mary squealed and maneuvered her way down and out of Dean's hold. She ran to Sam and hugged his legs.

"We have the same name!" She said.

"That's right, Mary." Dean said, eyes shining. Sam watched as he and Castiel shared a fond look. Sam carefully crouched down to see the girls eye-to-eye. She and Claire were very pretty, and Sam could clearly see the resemblance between them and Dean and Castiel.

"Well," Claire said importantly, " _my_ middle name is Gabriela, like Uncle Gabe's name!" She pushed herself to Sam's chest and touched his hair. "Your hair is long."

"He doesn't know what scissors are." Dean told her.

"Oh." Claire said. "Scissors are things for cutting. I use 'em at school to make art."

"I use them too!" Mary said. "My art is better."

"Is not!" Claire said, looking to Mary angrily.

"Mary," Castiel chided softly, "that was rude to say. Both of your artworks are beautiful. It's not kind to say you're better than someone else. Please say sorry to Claire."

"Sorry." Mary said, a bit begrudgingly.

"Thank you, Mary." Castiel said warmly, and the young girl smiled at him.

"Is Uncle Sammy gonna eat dinner with us?" Claire asked. "Because he can sit next to _me_."

"But I want him to sit next to me!" Mary argued while crossing her arms.

"Yeah, well, I dibsed it first!"

"That's not fair!"

"What if Uncle Sammy sits in between you two." Dean suggested smoothly, and the girls looked at him as if he'd found the cure for cancer.

"Okay!" They chimed. Mary looked to Sam and then grabbed his hand.

"Papa says dinner is almost ready, so you should meet Jack and Uncle Gabe now." She said, pulling so he stood and followed her. Sam could feel Dean's amused grin, but he was too distracted and stunned to care.

These were his nieces. He was an uncle.

Mary took Sam to a living room. Upon entry, he caught sight of a blonde-haired beta man playing with a young pup. Sam remembered that Castiel had said his youngest was only a year old. They looked up at Sam.

"Well, hello there." The beta purred. "I thought I heard new voices. I'm Gabriel."

"Hey," Sam said smartly, "I'm Sam."

"I guess that means we have two Sammy's." Gabriel said as he looked to Mary. "What do you think, Lil Sam?"

"'m not little!" Mary immediately protested with a withering glare and a stomp of her foot.

"You're little compared to Samsquatch over here." Gabriel said, and the girls burst into giggles.

"Uncle Samsquatch!" Claire exclaimed.

"That's certainly one way to prevent name confusion." Castiel commented, and the girls giggled again.

"You staying for dinner, moose?" Gabriel asked, eyes sliding over Sam's body. Sam fought back a blush and nodded. "Fantastic. You can sit next to me."

"Nuh uh!" Claire said, hands on her hips. "He's sitting next to me!"

"And me!" Mary added.

"Alright, alright!" Gabriel said with a laugh, his hands raising in front of him. "I know when I'm beat. I guess we'll just have to make time for each other _after_ dinner." He winked at Sam and Castiel groaned.

"Gabriel," Castiel said, sounding exasperated, "please refrain from scaring our guest away with your flirting."

"Psh, he loves it!" Gabriel said, smirking. "Tell 'em, Samsquatch!" Everyone turned to Sam expectantly.

"I don't mind it." Sam said. His cheeks heated and his hands fidgeted at his side when Gabriel let out a noise of triumph.

"If you say so. Don't be afraid to tell him off, though, he's shameless." Castiel told Sam.

Jack whined, effectively gaining the attention of every adult in the room.

"Must be hungry." Gabriel mused. "I cannot help with that, you take the ankle-biter, Deano." Dean rolled his eyes and crossed over to Gabriel to take Jack. The pup's eyes were big and round, and stared across the room at Sam inquisitively. Dean brushed his cheek over Jack's hair, and a wide, gummy grin broke across the pup's face. He flapped his arms.

"Let's go, little bug." Dean murmured, and then he looked at Sam. "I'll be back, I have to feed him." At Sam's nod, Dean smiled and left the room.

"So, how do you and Dean know each other?" Gabriel asked.

"I'm Dean's younger brother." Sam explained.

"Ah, yes, the prodigal brother returned." Gabriel said. "Got to say, I'm a bit surprised to see you." Sam ducked his head in shame, but not before he got Castiel's leveled gaze. It seemed that without Dean's happy presence, Castiel was less than pleased with Sam's past actions.

"Yeah, I was an-" he paused, noticing Mary's and Claire's curious looks, then amended, "a jerk."

"Indeed." Castiel said quietly. "And you saw Dean here purely by chance?"

"Yes." Sam said. "I don't regret it, though. I looked for him for a while, after I got over myself. It was too late then, but hopefully it won't be now."

Castiel's mouth was pulled in a tight line, but Gabriel smiled.

"Good to hear, Samoose." He said. "Now that I know who you are, you look more like your picture."

"My picture?" Sam asked.

"Dean has a few old photos of your family." Castiel explained.

"Oh." Sam said. "I have some photos of him too, really old ones I got from my dad, if you're interested."

"Ooh, blackmail!" Gabriel cheered.

"What's blackmail, Uncle Gabe?" Mary asked.

"Uh." Gabriel stared down at her. "It's when you make someone do something for you because you have something that they want."

"That's mean." Claire said, scowling. "Don't do that to Daddy!"

"Okay, fine." Gabriel said, looking properly scolded. Castiel rolled his eyes and stepped towards his daughters.

"Why don't we show your Uncle Sam to the dining room?"

"Okay!" Both girls ran to Sam and each took a hand to lead him to the dining room. They sat him down on one side and each took a seat beside him.

"What's your favorite reptile?" Mary asked. "Mine is a gliding snake. They're green, like my eyes, and they fly! They live in the rainforest and they hang down from branches and swing and launch off like what I do when I'm on the swings and it's _so_ funny!"

"Mine is a frog-eyed gecko!" Claire said. "I like 'em because their eyes are red in the nighttime and they have freaky tails."

"My second favorite is a cave racer snake!" Mary cut in. "They live in caves and eat bats!"

"That's my second favorite too!" Claire said.

"Hey! You're a copycat!" Mary said, glaring at Claire.

"No! You copied me!" Claire argued.

"Girls." Castiel sighed, and both quieted, though they frowned at one another. Sam couldn't help but smile at the sight. It was so domestic. It was absolutely crazy to think that Dean had done this, that he'd found his place in this small town and made this beautiful family. Sam remembered Dean being a loner, but now that Sam thought about it, maybe Dean wasn't a loner by choice.

"My favorite reptile is a nightfury." Gabe said, and both girls looked to him.

"Nightfuries aren't real, Uncle Gabe." Mary said primly.

"You don't know that, Sammy." Claire said, and Sam started before he realize Claire was talking to Mary. He supposed that while it was amazing that Dean had named his daughter after Sam, it would get confusing rather quickly.

"How come I've never seen one them, hmm?" Mary countered.

"Because they're _nightfuries_." Claire stressed. "They're black and they come out at night. Duh!"

"But we never hear them!"

"Because they're nice and they don't want to scare us! 'Sides, Santa is real and we never see him!"

"We see him during Christmas time." Mary pointed out.

"You're both right." Gabriel said. "Even if they're not real, they're cool."

"Uncle Sammy, you never told us your favorite reptile."

"Uh," Sam stammered, "I guess I like turtles, like, sea turtles."

"Ooh! I love sea turtles, but my family water animal is a dolphin!" Claire said.

"It's a _marine_ animal." Mary corrected. "My favorite is an otter."

"Have you been to an aquarium?" Sam asked.

"We went when I was six and Claire was four and Jack was an even littler baby."

"I don't remember that much." Claire said sadly. "I want to go back."

"There's an aquarium in California, and it's really big and cool." Sam said. "I used to drive there with my friends when I was in school."

"How big?" Mary asked.

"Very big." Sam said. "It was in this city called Monterey, and there was a room with a giant glass wall. Behind the wall it was filled with water and fish and sea turtles." He took out his phone and quickly searched the aquarium, then he showed a few pictures to the girls. Their eyes widened significantly.

"That's so cool!" Claire exclaimed. "Papa, can we go, please?" She shot Castiel a begging look, and Mary joined her.

"Perhaps we can go during the spring." Castiel said thoughtfully. "During your school break, I think. Your dad and I will talk about it."

The girls cheered and danced around the room happily.

"You're a big hit." Gabriel commented.

"I'm glad." Sam said. "I'm not great with kids."

"Could've fooled me." Gabriel said. "You're a natural with them."

"Looks like you've got competition for favorite uncle, Gabe." Dean joined in as he entered the room with Jack.

"Please," Gabriel mock scoffed, "I'm way better."

"It's not nice to say you're better than someone, Uncle Gabe." Mary said sternly, and Gabriel cursed under his breath.

"Yeah! Say sorry." Claire said. Gabriel rolled his eyes dramatically and looked to Sam.

"I'm very sorry for bragging about my natural awesomeness." He said.

"Uncle Gabe!"

"Okay, fine. I'm sorry for bragging and saying I'm better than you." Gabriel said sulkily. It was all so childish that Sam couldn't help but laugh.

"It's all good." He said, still chuckling.

Jack cooed and Sam turned to look at him. He held his chubby arms out to Sam and made grabby motions with his hands.

"I think he wants you." Dean said. "You wanna hold him?"

Sam stared at his brother with wide eyes.

"You'll let me?" He asked, voice a whisper.

"Of course, Sammy." Dean said softly. He held out Jack. "Here."

Sam swallowed thickly and moved forward to take Jack in his arms. The pup gazed up at him and babbled. His hand raised to tug lightly at Sam's hair.

Sam was completely enthralled. He'd never really been near babies before, except for when his colleagues had their pups around, but that wasn't often and Sam never held the babies.

Jack was so small and sweet. He cooed again and Sam felt his heart melt.

"Hey there, dude." He said quietly, lightly bouncing Jack. "How are you today?"

Jack murmured and tugged at his hair again.

"That's not nice." Sam said, but he made no move to stop Jack. Jack squirmed a bit and looked intently at Sam's neck.

"He wants to scent you." Dean informed. "He's already bonded with Cas as his alpha-dad, so it's fine if you want to let him."

Sam carefully moved Jack towards his neck and waited. The pup mewled and pushed his tiny nose to Sam's scent gland, tickling Sam's neck. Sam took be opportunity to breathe in deeply.

Jack smelled sweet, like vanilla bean and caramel, but there was also a hint of something sharper.

Jack pulled away and Sam moved him lower again so he could stare at the baby as Jack stared back.

"Ugh, Uncle Sam, come play with _me_. Jack is _so_ boring." Mary said.

"Samantha!" Castiel said sharply, sounding scandalized.

"What?" Mary demanded, voice defensive.

"Mary, it's rude to call your brother boring." Dean sighed, shaking his head.

"But he is!" Mary pressed, her voice almost a whine. "He doesn't do nothing all day long! Just sits and stares."

"Sometimes he cries." Claire said.

"That's even worse!" Mary groaned.

"Mary," Castiel said, "I know you're very excited to spend time with your new Uncle Sam, but you shouldn't say mean things about your brother just to get your way. You need to be patient, okay? Can you be patient, please?"

"Okay," Mary said with a long sigh, "I'll wait. Sorry, Jack."

Jack only babbled and blew spit bubbles.

"I think dinner will be done soon. You should all take your seats." Castiel said. He left the dining room, presumably to go to the kitchen. Sam handed Jack back to Dean and took his spot between the two girls. Gabriel sat across from them, next to Dean, and Cas's empty seat.

The girls were very chatty as they waited for dinner. They questioned Sam on all of his favorite things: colors, songs, movies, food, even cloud types. They were energetic and happy pups, and Sam had to gaze down at them fondly as they retold some fairytale they loved or bickered with one another. He caught Dean's look across the table and grinned, happy when Dean smiled back.

Dean's family was so perfect. Sam only hoped that they would accept him too.

Dinner consisted of salad and pasta. Dean surprised Sam by plating himself a large portion of salad. He caught Sam's dumbstruck look and laughed.

"I'm healthier now." Dean explained, gesturing to his pups. "I gotta be a good role-model. Of course, I still love me a burger and some pie. That's why I opened Buns 'n Roses."

"The café is yours?" Sam asked, and Dean nodded.

"I work at the café during the day and help Cas with the bread and breakfast during the evenings." He said. "Gabe comes around a lot."

"I own a candy store." Gabriel said. "But, I also help take care of the little demons when I can."

"Please do not call my pups 'demons'." Castiel said, unamused.

"Don't act like you don't enjoy it." Dean said. "What would you even be doing, if not babysitting?"

"Simple." Gabriel said. "Getting L-A-I-D."

"Uncle Gabriel, you just spelled 'laid'." Mary said, causing Sam to choke on his water.

"Uh." Gabriel said intelligently. "Yeah. I would be laying down, like, to take a nap."

"Why would you want to take a nap?" Mary asked, her nose wrinkling.

"Because I can have fun in bed." Gabriel said, smirking at Sam. Sam choked again.

"You're weird, Uncle Gabe." Claire said bluntly. Gabriel nodded.

"That I am." He agreed. "Maybe my weirdness will rub off on you two."

"No way!" Mary said. "I'm never going to get laid or have fun in bed!"

All the adults stared at Mary, a mixture of horrified and amused.

"Maybe that's for the best." Dean finally said, glaring at Gabriel. Gabriel only shot him an apologetic look that had Dean sighing and shaking his head.

"Anyways," Castiel said, clearing his throat, "why don't you two tell Uncle Sam about school."

The conversation delved into safer, less inappropriate topics after that, though both Dean and Castiel sent Gabriel withering glares throughout dinner.

Sam helped to clean up afterwards as Castiel got the pups ready for bed. Dean invited him to read their bedtime stories to them, which had Sam feeling oddly proud. Once the girls and Jack were asleep, the adults reconvened in the living room.

Cas and Dean sat on the couch, while Sam sat on a sofa chair and Gabriel stood near the doorway. The black cat made a reappearance. He jumped onto Sam's lap and kneaded a few times, his claws pricking Sam's legs through the pants, then jumped off and settled on a cushion on the ground.

"That's Crowley." Dean said. "Just ignore him, he comes and goes as he pleases."

The cat looked up at him and meowed, tail flicking agitatedly.

"Well, it's been a pleasure." Gabriel said. "It's time for me to take my leave, lots of things to be done." Dean and Castiel stood to hug Gabriel goodbye and Sam shook his hand.

"I hope to see you later." Gabriel told Sam, winking. Then he was flouncing out of the room and they heard the door open and close.

"So," Dean started, gaining Sam's attention, "what do you plan to do now?"

"I don't know." Sam admitted. "I want to be nearby, if you'll let me. I have no idea how long it'll take for me to finish my cases and move down here, but I can start right away. Oh, I'm a lawyer now."

"I know." Dean said softly. "I've kept track of you." It warmed Sam to hear that Dean had still been interested in Sam's life, even when Sam had dismissed him completely.

"You really want me to be part of your life again?" Dean asked hesitantly. "You sure this isn't adrenaline or shock or something?"

"I'm sure." Sam promised. "I was a dick before, and I blamed you for everything Dad did because I didn't see you were trying to keep us together as a family. I've never regretted something more. I've missed you a lot, and I want to be your brother again."

"You're still my brother." Dean said, smiling.

"Then, I want to be a good brother. You were the best brother I could hope for, and I didn't appreciate that before." Sam said. "I'm so sorry I took my anger out on you."

"I forgive you, Sammy." Dean said, voice gruff in a way that Sam knew meant Dean was close to tears.

"Thanks." Sam said quietly.

"You're not going to run away when you get angry or upset?" Castiel questioned, eyeing Sam. Sam ducked his head.

"I won't." He swore. "Dean is my family, I just forgot what that meant for a while."

Dean's arms wrapped around Sam, surprising him. He leaned into their hug and held Dean back tightly. He'd missed his brother so badly.

"Welcome back, man." Dean said, voice muffled, and Sam let out a choked laugh.

"Dean," Castiel said, "perhaps you'd like to tell Sam something?"

Dean pulled back to look at Castiel and Sam watched them silently exchange a conversation.

"Yeah?" Dean asked, a bit breathless. Castiel smiled warmly.

"He's your brother, and Gabe's gotten the honor thrice already. This will knock him down a peg or two." He replied.

"Huh?" Sam asked, glancing between the two. Dean grinned at him and then left the room, leaving behind a very confused Sam and smug-looking Castiel.

Dean returned soon after, holding something in his hand. He looked over Sam at Castiel and nodded.

"Here, Sammy." Dean said, holding out the thin paper-like material. Sam took it from him curiously and stared down at it, trying to make sense of what he was seeing. It was mostly black with shades of grey in the shape of a-

"Dean," Sam gasped, gaze shooting up to meet Dean's.

"Baby number four." Dean said, grinning widely. Castiel moved around Sam and kissed Dean.

"Yeah?" Sam breathed, his voice a squeak. He stared back down at the picture in awe.

"Yeah, dude." Dean laughed. "Now, look, we haven't told anyone, not even the girls, so keep your mouth shut."

"You told _me_ first?" Sam asked, utterly touched.

"Yeah." Dean said. "You've been honored."

"Yeah." Sam agreed, completely serious. "Holy fuck, guys. I'm so happy for you!"

"This time you get to witness how grumpy and gross I get." Dean joked

"Grumpy? Yes." Castiel said. "Gross? Not so much." He kissed Dean again and Dean shoved him away playfully.

"Really," Sam stressed, "I'm so fucking happy for you guys. You have such a beautiful life, your pups are amazing and perfect."

"They are." Castiel agreed, tone proud. "They can be exhausting, but it's worth it."

"It is." Dean said. "I'm glad you'll be around this time, might be easier to get babysitting."

"Whatever you need." Sam promised instantly. "I have so much catching up to do."

"Well," Dean said, "we've got plenty of time."

They did have plenty of time, and Sam was excited for every second of it. He was so happy to be here. All those years trying not to think about his past and Dean, they didn't matter anymore. Sam was finally home.

**Author's Note:**

> Now, I know what y'all must be thinking.
> 
> "Cap, shouldn't you be writing for your other four (4) wips instead of posting new fics?" And you would be right, of course. I SHOULD be writing for my other four (4) wips.
> 
> "Cap, HAVE you been writing for your other four (4) wips?" 
> 
> "... What are you, my mother?" 
> 
> anyways... I thought it would be fun to write another abo where Sam finds Dean and Dean has a perfect life with Cas and they have lots of adorable pups so yeah I'm going to be late with my other fics but I mean I couldn't resist
> 
> Question: what kind of bear is best?   
> also would anyone be interested in a sequel/prequel type fic from Dean's pov (likely it would be in timeskips from when Sam leaves to when the new baby is born)
> 
> also just to clarify - Dean called Sam for 2 years (sam ignored him) and then stopped and moved and then a year later Sam tried to call him and found out Dean had gone half a year earlier so Sam didn't hear from him 10 years after that (a grand total of 13 years) and Samantha (Mary) is 7 so she was born about 3 and 1/2 years after Dean left 
> 
> hope you guys had a great week / will have a great weened  
> let me know what you think!  
> -cap out-


End file.
